1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catheter drainage systems, and more particularly to tamper bands placed on a catheter assembly.
2. Prior Art
Catheter drainage systems are utilized to drain urine from a patient's bladder. Such arrangements generally comprise a catheter having a distal end received in the patient's bladder and drainage lumen extending through the catheter, a hollow drainage tube and a collecting bag connected to a downstream end of the drainage tube, with an adapter at an upstream end of the drainage tube being received in a connector adjacent to the proximal end of the catheter. In use, urine drains from the bladder from the catheter and a drainage tube into the collection bag for collection therein. Such drainage systems are sterile and are closed to the atmosphere to prevent the bacteria from entering the system which might otherwise pass by retrograde movement into the bladder with possible deleterious results to the patient. In particular it is undesirable to remove the adapter from the catheter connector since such a procedure could allow entry of bacteria into the patient. Hence, it is desirable to discourage such disconnection, and at the very least, it is desirable to know when such a disconnection has taken place. A recent patent application Ser. No. 630,175 shows a means for discouraging tampering with a liquid drainage catheter system. The tamper discouraging device therein comprises a heat shrinkable band circumferentially arranged against the catheter over the connector and the adapter.
A further tamper discouraging system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,509. This arrangement uses a piece of tape which is wrapped around the junction of the proximal end of the catheter and the adapter. The tape has heat applied to it so it will shrink about that juncture. An unfortunate characteristic of tape, is that it has sharp edges, which may rub a patient's thigh during use thereof and can be very uncomfortable. Have you ever seen a corner of a piece of tape that has not lifted up?.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pre-connected drainage system with a catheter which is sealed to a drainage tube by a tamper-evident encircling means which means will not make the patient uncomfortable.
It is a further object of the present invention to define a tamper-evident means on a pre-connection arrangement whereby disconnection of the system is evident by a portion of that means remaining on the connector.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a tamper-evident means which also displays information thereon.